Much Ado About Nothing Research Paper

Much Ado About Nothing Research Paper

1700 WordsMay 17th, 20137 Pages

In the twenty-first century, stories of love being damaged by deception have become cliché. Tales in the current period of writing often display relationships being torn apart by lies and trickery, only to be repaired when the evil deeds are uncovered. However, this common theme appears in literature as far back as the Elizabethan Era. It is not surprising that William Shakespeare’s ideas would be recycled and modernized; he is the second most quoted source in the English language, only preceded by the bible (“William Shakespeare Timeline”). In one of his most famous plays, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare conveys his idea that a person must be wary of others attempting to manipulate his life through the use of duplicity. Although…show more content…

Although Claudio is just a young man, his courage surpasses his age. However, being young and gullible, he allows his naïveté to destroy his relationship later in the play. Hero, being a female in a time that women had few rights, was very compliant. She did not seem to carry the same bold atmosphere that her cousin, Beatrice, did. Instead, she mostly does what she is told to do and does not question anyone’s motives. Even when she was accused of infidelity during her wedding, Hero did not defend herself enough to make the spectators question whether Claudio could be wrong in his accusations. She also did not question the friar’s plan to fake her own death. At the end of the play, Hero willingly accepts Claudio’s second marriage proposal without requesting a further apology. Her characterization reflects the expectation of women during the time period (Harlan). She is juxtaposed to Beatrice, who is bold and rather impudent. The men in the play are ostensibly quite concerned with infidelity. When Don Pedro asked if Hero was Leonato’s daughter, he replied, “Her mother hath many times told me so.” Being the malapert character that he is, Benedick remarked, “Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her?” Leonato quickly retorted, “Signior Benedick, no, for then you were a child.” (Shakespeare II,i,100-105). While this exchange was

character from Much Ado About Nothing, is a perfect example of this quote. Throughout most of the play Claudio is only concerned about how other people and events affect him. However, the obstacles and positions he is put in do not help the situation. The one of the main themes of this play is deception, which Claudio, as well as most of the other characters in the play, fall victim. In Much Ado About Nothing Claudio begins the play with a tendency to be very gullible and paranoid about everything,…

Social Illusions in Much Ado About Nothing
In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare presents us with a romp through the realms of truth and illusion. The play is full of characters plotting and deceiving, for both noble and repugnant reasons. It is a study in the importance and necessity of illusion in our everyday lives, and shows how deeply ingrained deception is in our social behaviors.
Everybody is involved in some kind of illusion, from the masked celebration to the unveiling of…

Much Ado About Nothing is a play that centers around the question and battle between deception and reality. One first notices of the image of deception as we witness the masking and unmasking at the masquerade. In the play, most overhear discussions are deceptions. It is through eavesdropping that we see the true battle between deception and reality as we look at the subplots of Benedick and Beatrice, Hero and Claudio, as well as the comedy of Dogberry and his crew.
The relationship between…

The play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare consists of many themes which grow out of the game of love'. The two main themes consist of perception and deception. Through the plot complications, character development and dramatic techniques these themes can be explored. In the play deception is shown on both good and evil sides, the game of love between Beatrice and Benedick and the Don John plot to split up Hero and Claudio. Perception is a theme used in most of Shakespeare's plays.…

Much Ado About Nothing Act 1
1. In Act I, Beatrice and Benedick engage in a witty conversation, which Leonato describes as a playful battle: “There is a kind of / merry war betwixt Signor / Benedick and her. They never / meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them” (1.1.58-59). Beatrice insists that she does not like Benedick at all, and insults him relentlessly throughout Act I: “It is so indeed. He is no less than a stuffed man. But for the / stuffing—well, we are all mortal” (1.1.47-48)…

Much Ado About Nothing
In the Renaissance period, marriage was far different and much longer process than it is today. Particularly in the Elizabethan era, marriages were frequently arranged so that both families involved would benefit. Marriages would be arranged to bring prestige, honour and wealth to the family. For the upper class, marriage rarely involved love. Courting outside of one’s class was strictly forbidden and punishable by death in some circumstances. Marriage followed a strict…

English Draft – Much Ado About Nothing
By Amanda Dodds
‘Shakespeare wrote his play in accordance with the conventions of an easily identifiable genre – history, comedy or tragedy.’
For centuries, William Shakespeare has been a beacon of storytelling genius. He has the ability to tell timeless stories that can be classified within the genres comedy, tragedy and history. Proving as relevant today as they were 500 years ago, these stories conform to certain elements that define what genre the story…

Inconstancy in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) explains inconstancy as the recurrent and generally unexpected or impulsive change from one condition to another. It is the state or quality of being inconstant and unfaithful by virtue of being undependable or deceitful. Set in Messina, Sicily, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a very popular play generally viewed as one of his happiest comedies and is often performed in theatres. However, the playfulness…

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a play involving by deception, disloyalty, trickery, eavesdropping, and hearsay. The play contains numerous examples of schemes that are used to manipulate the thoughts of other characters; it is the major theme that resonates throughout the play. Ironically, it is one of these themes that bring serenity to the chaos that encompasses most of the play.
The first example of deception we see is with the characters of Beatrice and Benedick. These…

Much Ado About Nothing Analysis
Beginning in 15th century Messina in the aftermath of a war, the play opens with the army of Don Pedro of Aragon arriving in the country and being welcomed by Leonato, Messina’s governor. Count Claudio, hero of the war, falls in love with Leonato’s daughter Hero at first sight, and Don Pedro promises to woo Hero for Claudio. Don John, Don Pedro’s brother who is resentful of both Claudio and Don Pedro for defeating him in the just-ended war and himself being a bastard…